Hello, hello! Victor Sullivan here, and son, I'm not kidding when I say "Army of ONE". Well, the obvious first one is our interrogated user for this issue, Army of GOD is actually just one person (otherwise it would be 'Account Sharing' and that wouldn't be so friggity fresh, cuz it don't mesh with the Guidelines, yo, you know what I'm sayin'?). Second, yours truly compiled everything this issue to make sure you get your CC News on time! I hope you enjoy the issue as much as all of us have putting it together

Welcome to my last issue as Freestyle Executive. It's been fun doing double-duty, getting to interrogate people and the like, but you are in good, if not, better hands for issues to come, as our beloved Freestyle Writer, safariguy5 will be taking over as Freestyle Executive. And, conveniently, we have a Mess Hall jam-packed with safariguy5, as he informs with another "Advanced Roles and Strategy" and another "Current Events". Plus, we have the ever-anticipated interrogation of Army of GOD!

Submarining is not posting a lot in the game thread. Like a submarine, the player will come up with a post and then promptly disappear from the conversation. Players who have real life obligations will usually post in the game thread when they will be away from the game and catch up once they return. Submariners (also known as lurkers) do not.

OMGUS stands for Oh My God You Suck! It is the retaliatory voting of a person who votes for you.

Example

Jack votes for Andy. Andy OMGUS votes Jack in response.

The game has been going on for three weeks. Bob has only posted a total of 3 times. This is usually considered submarining.

How to Use this Strategy

Submarining and OMGUS votes are not particularly strong mafia tells. In Day 1, these usually are held up as reasons to bandwagon. Given the little amount of information town has on Day 1, a weak case to bandwagon is usually still enough to pressure someone. Where this really becomes a scumtell is if submarining or OMGUSing occurs after Day 1. Then, there is no reason to remain silent about the cases. Be especially aware of the person who posts that they are "following along in the thread, but have nothing to add". That is basically an active form of submarining, by acting active but being noncommittal. Any case held up for examination warrants at least a response of whether the individual player believes the case to be valid or not.

Late breaking news today, as full scale war has been declared. It was not started over nuclear weapons, oil, the economic divide between First and Third World Countries, or geopolitical differences. Instead, the conflict was due to a naming dispute of a light blue color some are calling cyan and others teal.

The seeds of the conflict were planted after a friendly international soccer match (football to anyone not born in the United States) between Argentina and Greece. After the Argentinian team scored 7 straight unanswered goals against the Greeks, tempers began to flair. Frustrated at their inability to contain the Argentinian attack, the Greeks started taunting the uniforms of the Argentinians; calling them a "mess of cyan and yellow". Argentinians responded by referring to the Greek uniforms as a "teal prison jumpsuit". The game eventually had to be suspended due to the large amounts of olives and dulce de leche that rained down onto the field.

Click image to enlarge.

The next day, the Argentine government drafted a formal bill that established Argentina the "cyan capital of the world" and formally declared war on Greece. Uruguay, Honduras, Nicaragua and Guatemala quickly threw their support behind Argentina. The United States was too busy trying to buy cheap prescription drugs from Canada to notice.

Greece immediately responded by crowning itself the "premier teal country" and promised swift mobilization against Argentina. Scotland, Somalia, Botswana and Estonia promised their support. The rest of the European Union was too busy trying to negotiate a potentially blockbuster summer transfer window to pay attention.

Still neutral countries include most of Asia, who were too busy making money to support either side. Australia's military has been too busy trying to hold off the multitudes of poisonous creatures on the continent to worry about external affairs. The UN is bracing for a humanitarian crisis, saying that up to 200 people may be slightly inconvenienced by the military operations. Perhaps tens of troops will be killed in what many people are describing as "the warm-up to the shoot around of the batting practice of the exhibition dress rehearsal to World War 3".

Too many to choose from. I'll say when I "spammed" live chat while I was the only person in it.

Q. How many championships will they win in Miami, and will Lebron have his jersey retired as a Heat player?

4 and yes.

Q. How FAWSOME do you think an interrogation of #1_stunna would be?

Not nearly as as mine

Q. Why do you think CC isn't interviewing #1_stunna?

Because if they wanted to put people to sleep, they would've given free sleeping pills with every purchase of premium.

Q. Who is your most favorite mod?

nagerous, because he knows how I like it

Q. How much do you love Serbia?

Q. Why are you so short?

Because all the extra tissue is in my abnormally large penis

Q. Why doesn't it bother you more?

Because shut up

Q. F*ck yeah, unicorn!

Mama said knock you out

Q. How's your wiener?

Large and in charge

Q. What about your wiener?

See last answer

Q. What off-season moves do you foresee the Miami Heat making?

Pick up aging center. I would rather they develop their young guys, specifically James Jones and Chalmers

Q. Will James retool any part of his game during the off-season/play in Europe with the potential of a lockout?

I heard on ESPN that Olajuwon was giving him low-post lessons. If there's anything he needs to be better at, it's his low post game. He's one of the strongest guys in the league but has massive trouble in the paint with his back to the basket.

Q. Do you prefer your wiener stuffed in a bun?

Yes, but only if it's Symmtry's <3

Q. With or without condiments?

Both

Q. Why do you want Conquer Club to ask about your wiener?

Because shut up

Q. What is your favorite meme?

Asking obvious questions was invented at McGill University in 2011, by this dumbass

Q. Why are you here?

Because I am everywhere, my son

Q. Who is better, and why?

David Ortiz. He's the tits

Q. What's a wiener and where can ManBungalow get one?

It's a wiener, due to the reflexive postulate. He can get it in my pants, but he has to search with his mouth

Q. If someone had some magic beans that, when planted, sprouted a bean that, when eaten, would cause you to grow to a normal height (you know, something taller than 3' 10"), how many cups of sugar would you put into a pot of coffee?

LoL!

Q. What was the mass of the bean stalk?

42 micrograms

Q. Does P=NP? Provide proof!

Yes.

Q. Have you ever considered having a friend sign up, or creating a multi, that is named 'Army of Satan/Devil/etc', and then playing some epic 1vs1 games to the death?

Q. If y'all are real good friends, does that friendship come with benefits?

Yes. Squishy's care and love is everything I could ever ask for.

Q. Are you a normal short person or one of the weird looking ones?

Weird-looking

Q. Why did you ditch your old pokemon avatar?

Because the bash brothers are the tits

Q. When you were younger, did your parents call you Militia of God or maybe Army of Jesus?

My mom used to, and still does call me "Dickie Jimmy"

Q. Jesus and God are the same person or something like that right?

Dude, I don't know.

Q. Is one of them a Bulletproof Bandit?

Both, actually.

Q. How many internet sites do you post pictures of yourself on?

32, 28 being porn forums

Q. How many are NSFW?

28, I just fucking said that. God dammit. LISTEN WHEN I SPEAK TO YOU, YOU IGNORANT PIECE OF SHIT

Q. What is best in life?

Death

Q. Do you agree that the meaning of life is to find the meaning of life?

No, the meaning of life is to shut up and give me free high-fives

Q. If you could change your name, would you change it to Army of DOGS?

No, I'd change it to "lackattack sucks my balls"

Q. If you did change it to Army of DOGS would you join the pack?

I don't think I'm cool enough for the pack anyway

Q. What was the happiest moment in your life?

The day I leave CC

Q. What was the saddest moment in your life?

The day the.killing.44 bought me a gatorade

Q. What was your most satisfying achievement?

Senior year of high school, our baseball team made it to the league championship. We were down 3-0 in the bottom of the last inning and I led off. I lined a single over the third basemen, moved to second on a walk, and then danced around on second base and drew a balk from the pitcher. The next batter was intentionally walked, and then the batter after that got a bases-clearing walk-off double. However; I got absolutely no credit for starting the whole rally. Cunts.

Q. Where do you see yourself five years from now?

Face down in a ditch, crying as I die slowly, wondering why I ever thought a relationship between BigBallinStalin and I would ever work.

Q. Is owenshooter the real black Jesus?

No. Ving Rhames is the savoir.

Q. Do you think Bruceswar looks good in a dress?

Yea, but he looks even better without it.

Q. Are you the bastard son of BoganGod?

No. I'm his lover.

Q. If no, would you like to be (and are you sure)? If yes, does he pay your premium as child-support?

Of course I would like to be. Yet, I'd still be his lover.

Q. What GOD does the GOD in Army of GOD refer to?

The guy that kills thousands of children every day, yet also helps billionaires achieve fame.

Q. If you were Emperor of Earth, what would your rule be like?

>Implying I'm not already the Emperor of Earth

Q. You wanna go see Cowboys & Aliens with saxitoxin tomorrow?

Of course.

Q. Do you really want to sit in a dark theatre with Uncle Saxi?

Of course.

Q. Will you make Uncle Saxi hold the popcorn in his lap?

Of course.

Q. Would you pop Uncle Saxi's corn?

No, but I'd give him a handjob.

Q. If you had the choice to either grow 4 inches or be rewarded $25,000, which option would you take?

The one where I shove my foot up Serbia's ass

Q. Would you have that icky leg lengthening surgery that Ethan Hawke got in "Gattaca"?

The only reason I know the name Ethan Hawke is because of Family Guy

Q. Would you have any other elective procedures to look more like Jude Law?

SHUT UP

Q. Why you are such a HUGE fan of the band Tool?

Because I enjoy terrible music

Q. What is the state of the relationship between you and nietzsche? (Visual aids are allowed)

Click image to enlarge.

Q. Thanks, Army of GOD!

No, thank you!

Here's a smashing edition of War Games with another "Join This? Or Not!" by sonicsteve, and a "Meet the Tournament Winners!" with Dukasaur and interviewee, belize. Enjoy!

And now for our regular look at a selection of the tournaments in sign-ups:

Are you a fan of Mixed Team Escalating games on Random maps? Me too! Betrayal is the third tournament to be organised by thechuck51, who is looking for 64 players. The competitors will be placed into Quads teams at random, then each winning side will be split into 2 dubs teams to fight amongst themselves before the victorious partnership turns on itself in a 1v1 game. The 8 individual winners then go through the same process in the final round.

qwert invites you along to his Chess Championship I which will be played out using 1v1 matchups on the Peloponnesian Wars map and scored using the Chess scoring system. Budding grandmasters will need to finish their opponents quickly to score a full point in each game.

The MC's List of Maps 1v1 series by mcshanester29 is continuing with Celtic Nations, Central America and CCU all up for grabs at the time of press. The series has already covered more than 30 maps and consists of a straightforward single elimination bracket with Escalating cards.

Another 1v1 event which caught my eye this issue is drake_259's Pandemic. You must choose to be either a Virus, Bacteria or Parasite, with the winner from each section facing off in a 3-way battle. If you've always wanted to represent Salmonella on the battlefield, this is the tournament you've been waiting for.

Last, but by no means least we have the Official Summer CC Bash 2011. The Entertainment Team are hosting this Speed event which will run in a festival style from 22nd to 27th August with the winner earning 3-months premium and a spot in Game 10 million.

Player belize came to my attention two different ways. First, he was the winner of Sb's Nuking of the New World 1 by soldierboy. This tourney ran from January 29th to March 10th of this year, and it came up as my random selection of tournament winners to interview.

Then, soon afterward, belize also won Blitz's Clandemonium 4 by Blitzaholic, which ran from February 19th to April 25th. This was one of many tournaments that Blitz ran on his new (well, it was new at the time) Clandemonium map. One of the features of the Clandemonium series of tournaments was that the final round featured a best-of-51 game series between the two finalists. That's right, not a typo! Best-of-51, and belize knocked out his opponent by the slimmest margin possible, 26-25. I myself had been in this tournament, and belize had knocked me out in the semi-final. When I heard about his amazingly close finish, I absolutely had to talk to him about it!

Originally I was going to interview you about SB's Nuking of the New World, but recently you've had that absolutely amazing 26-25 win in Clandemonium Four, so I definitely want to talk to you about that one too! I was hoping you would win that one after defeating me, and when I saw that amazing photo finish I was just blown away!

So, let's do both. My first question is always, "What attracted you to this particular tournament?"

Sure. I had been wanting to play some tournaments and I just chose ones that had maps I was familiar with, that goes for both tournaments. As for the most resent, I had some personal stuff going on in the real world so I missed some turns and playing so many of the same map at one time is tiresome, so I wasn't confident that I would win.

I made it to round 3 in the first Clandemonium tournament where we had to play 15 games at once, and even then I was getting really sick of the map, and I was thinking, "OMFG, what if I do make it to the finals, and I have to play 51 of these things?" Of course I didn't make it to the finals, but I'm still amazed at those of you who did. It's a BIG map; even one game on it can be a fair bit of work. Did you think at some point that you might not get through it?

There were many times I wanted to just say f--- it and stop playing! My best friend had some medical problems and I was spending the nights at the hospital with his wife, so i missed some turns. Somehow I still won some of those games.

Sorry to hear that. Is he better now?

Yes he is thanks.

I'm still amazed by that 26-25 finish. That's as close as it can get! Was your adrenaline level up on the last few games?

That was a really hectic month so I was just trying to get all my turns in on all my games, but i wasn't really that focused on the games. I was doing my best and wanted to win but in the big picture it really wasn't that big a deal whether or not I won.

Lol, you're supposed to say, "me heart was palpitating, my face was on fire, every muscle and nerve in my body trembled as I surged forward to that last game"

sorry but after 50 games it gets old and compared to what was going on in the real world it was just one more thing to worry about.

Okay, we've talked about the Clandemonium tournament. Let's talk a bit about the Nuking the New World tournament. Do you generally like Nuclear games?

Yes I like nuke games. Other spoils can give an unfair advantage to one player who is already getting lucky with the dice, but nukes are better than no spoils because it can help a losing player come back, like in a game I'm playing now. i had a strong lead and then the guy nuked 3 of my terts and got lucky with the dice and now we're even again.

But isn't that the fun part of nukes? Just when you think you know how the game is going, it isn't...

Yep that's why i love it.

The Nuking of the New World was a Dubs tournament. Tell me a bit about your partnership with Rick1063.

It's hard to explain, but we had a really good rapport from the very beginning. We communicated frequently. I've never had as good a partnership with any other players, although some came close.

How did you discover CC, and how long have you been here?Looking for a free Risk site. I used to play Risk with my uncle as a kid and then with friends and on the comp. I stopped playing for a while then played a game with my brothers and got the itch again, so i started looking for a free online site and found cc. I've been on CC for just under 2 years.

Thank you very much for your time. Good luck in all your future endeavours!

It's time for, of course, my favorite part of the Newsletter: Cartographic Surveillance! OliverFA and I took a break this issue, while new Reporters, thehippo8 and koontz1973 release their third and first articles, respectively. thehippo8 continues on the topic of chess, while koontz talks about white guys (neutral troops, of course!). And to all you readers, I challenge you to comment on the maps in the Foundry, as comments are always, always wanted.

In case you are reading this and wonder if I am obsessed by chess, you’d be right. But no, I won’t write about chess for every article. But the last article did miss an important point (well truth be known OliverFA suggested an idea ... and, ok, I jumped at the notion) that there might be more to the mystery behind why the chess game hasn’t translated so well to this forum. Do the maps suggested capture the dynamics of chess? What is the essence of the chess game itself? How can this be meaningfully represented in this mode?

In answering these questions, we get to the fundamentals of the merger between the aesthetic and the functional. Such concepts have, I suggest, application to the development of any map and it is hoped that such an analysis may have applicability to any map development – not just chess – by analogy. Ok, so that’s a high flatulent way of saying – what’s good for one must be good for all.

So, in this article I will break it down to two bits. The first covers the essence of chess and the second covers modelling.

What is chess?

I make no bones about it, explaining the game of chess takes a bit of time and I make no apologies for that. Modern chess is a game played on a square board in turn divided into an eight by eight grid. Those squares are, for convenience and to aid in envisioning where the pieces go, alternately coloured. The grid is the extent of where the pieces can go, the sides forming natural barriers. Like any battle field, owning space is better than being cramped in the corner and the centre of the board is revered because that is the position of most space. The game is played by two players (or in another extrapolation two teams democratically deciding moves). Although it is a game it is in fact representative of two armies at war. Each of the chess pieces is representative of key dynamic entities typically found in battle. The ultimate objective is to checkmate the opponents king, but as the game develops there are mini-objectives of taking territory, taking pieces or placing your pieces in a better position from which attacks can be made.

There are the foot soldiers, or pawns. They have limited movement in that they can only move one square forward at a time, save if they have not moved and there is space then on the first move only they can move two squares. These soldiers don’t have guns, they have knives. They attack by stabbing diagonally to the left or right, but only to the immediately adjacent square, as in close fighting. The two square move was a modern effort to speed up the game, but in an effort to avoid sneakiness by an opponent if an opposing pawn has made it to the fifth rank the slowpoke pawn can’t escape by moving two squares – the advanced pawn can still stab the pawn as it passing (hence the term en passant). Aside from the two move thing, the pawn has remained throughout the history of chess this slow and seemingly insignificant piece. But insignificant it is not. A pawn, on reaching the eighth rank, can be promoted to any other piece (other than a king) which the player desires. Historically this promotion was to a much less powerful piece (the fers) which could only move diagonally one square at a time. Moreover, the pawns are like a movable barrier bristling with their knives from which the opponent’s pieces must beware. Also, the pawns block an army’s movement because an army cannot attack its own pieces. In a real game of chess, the placement and movement of pawns changes the nature of the whole game. Opening doors and closing them, directing the flow of the other pieces or just getting in the way! The placements of pawns create the structure of the game, provide names for different opening set-ups and are indeed the soul of the game. Such a lot from such a little piece!

The bishop moves on the diagonal of the coloured square on which it starts. Because of the checkerboard nature of the board and the placement of the bishops that means that each player has a dark squared bishop and a light squared bishop. Opposing bishops of the same type can attack each other but opposite squared bishops can happily stand next to each other in peace. After all the other pieces have gone, so there are just an equal number of pawns left, it is often said that opposite squared bishops would result in an even game or draw. But the bishops are powerful when co-ordinated with other pieces. They can move quickly through any diagonal (so long as your pawns or other pieces aren’t blocking the way!). Historically, this piece was more limited in power and was actually based on an elephant which could leap diagonally over any diagonally adjacent square whether over another piece or not so long as there is not another elephant there (modern chess is a derivative of an older Indian game Shatranj so representation of an elephant should come as no surprise).

The knight is the strangest piece for people new to chess to understand, and probably the one that is the most fun. There is something almost magical in the way that the knight can leap clean over one of your own pawns and head an attack on an opponent’s piece or position. The knight is, of course, a horse with a rider and the rider has attitude. Historically this piece has always moved like this. Knights can find themselves trapped if they don’t watch where they are going but equally because of their reach can in turn end the game by leaping over the opponent’s pieces which would protect the king but find themselves just getting in the way and trapping the poor king with no way out. Knights and bishops can be powerful and those two pieces with a king can actually checkmate the opponent.

The Rook is the strong siege tower which can be wheeled along the files and ranks of the board. It is truly powerful and, with a king, is all you need to finish off your opponent if the position is right. Historically this was known as a chariot and, in my view, that is a better name for it because of the way it rushes back and forth with such speed. In combination with the other rook and pieces it can be a formidable force. The check has a special move, castling, which I describe when I talk about the king.

The Queen in modern chess is the quintessential power de force. It is like a bishop and a rook combined. It can easily checkmate the opponent in combination with your king, or a bishop or a knight or a rook or even, in certain positions, a pawn! The only thing a queen can’t reach is a knight, but it can run so far and fast that it should easily outplay the knight in most situations. Historically she wasn’t so strong, historically this was the fers, or counsellor, a sort of diagonal pawn referred to already. Women’s lib really came to the chess board in a powerful way!

Finally there comes the king. He can move anywhere you want, as long as that is one square away. For such an impotent figure, he remains the key to the game. Because of this impotence, the king must be protected in a game and the first dozen or so moves of a game are often directed towards putting pieces and the king in a position where the king cannot be readily attacked and the pieces become both useful to the defence of the king and available to the attack of the opponent’s king should the opportunity arise. Castling is a modern invention where the king moves two squares to the left or right and the rook is placed on the other side of the king (so long as the other pieces are out of the way, the king is not in check or moving into or through check and the rook hasn’t already moved). The opponent kings must always stay at least one square apart and that has a special significance towards the end of the game. If the king is under attack then he either must move or interpose another piece, the player cannot ignore the attack. If he is attacked and cannot escape then he is checkmated and the game is over. If he cannot move but can’t move anything else either then it is a draw, he has outsmarted the opponent. If there are no pieces left on the board which could checkmate the king then again he escapes with a draw. Around the king the game swirls, the king is the objective and all important figure. In the endgame when the main pieces are gone the king assumes more power and strength, tracking down and dispatching pawns who are within reach, supporting pawns to their promotion or supporting minor pieces in checkmating the opponent.

Gameplay is based on each player having one turn after the other. This has the effect of momentum in the game. You cannot miss a turn, you must move, and this has a dynamic in chess which can itself be exploited. If you have more territory because you attack more squares than your opponent and the opponent can only do stupid or weak moves then you have the initiative and you have more tempo than your opponent. By tempo it is meant that your opponent has to make more moves to be in the position you are in to have the same territory or to achieve the objective. But similarly you may find yourself in a position, known as zungzwang, where you have no good move and anything you do is bad but you are nevertheless forced to move. There are other standard tricks used in chess like the double attack (where one piece attacks two where if one moves away the player cannot stop the other being taken), the discovered attack (where one player moves a piece out of the way and threatens something important which the other player has to deal with first – like check – but where the first player has a backup piece attacking an otherwise unprotected piece), the pin (where an inferior piece is attacked but cannot move because if it did then a more important piece would be taken), the skewer (the other way round – where the important piece move away from an attack leaving a lesser piece unprotected) or distraction (where a piece is doing something important but is drawn away – say by sacrifice – leaving open an attack on another unprotected piece). Chessplayers see combinations that can sometimes go many moves deep and the points of attack may be pieces or important squares from which an attack cannot be defended against. Ultimately an attack may involve comparatively few pieces but be made in such a way as to make the balance of the opponent’s pieces obsolete. The potential is truly complex and it is mindboggling to think of all the possible combinations that can go on in a single game. The essence of chess is in these combinations. It is said that chess is won by the person who makes the next to last mistake!

I have listed the pieces in this order because this is the order of power or strength of the pieces. Computer chess programs have inbuilt values for the pieces to signify their values. A crude example would be to call a pawn 1 unit, knights and bishops 3 units (or a shade more than 3 units), a rook 5 units, queen 9 units and the king a very high number or low number depending on its position (ie it could be worth 4 in an endgame where it can attack the pawns). Chess players keep the relative power of the pieces in mind so as to not give away more valuable pieces for less valuable ones (known as loosing the exchange) unless there is a reason to do so. But there are times when a seemingly important piece (like a queen) can be sacrificed if the result would be an unassailable attack. These seeming conundrums create surprise and delight in the game itself and can be amazing when it all pans out right for you. When you miscalculate it can be the source of intense pain! For that reason values of the pieces must be weighed and balanced during the game itself. There’s no point in saving your queen if you lose the game!

Modelling the game of chess

So the elements of chess are the pieces, their potential and the board or environment in which they move. Everything is relative and subject to change and interdependence on what else is happening. The dynamics of chess is in the friction created by the interdependence of the pieces and their position. There is a natural tension between position of the pieces relative to the ultimate objective on the one hand versus the potential combinations of the pieces on the other hand (tactics). So how can this be represented in the Conquer Club environment?

The Free Dictionary has two definitions of the term “modelling” which are relevant: “A small object, usually built to scale, that represents in detail another, often larger object”; and “A schematic description of a system, theory, or phenomenon that accounts for its known or inferred properties and may be used for further study of its characteristics”.

Taking the first definition, I start from the premise that the board and pieces are not in themselves chess. They are used by the players to implement what is going on in the heads of the players. Indeed, the game of chess is more in the mind of the players than what actually occurs by the play of the game itself. So many potential ideas simply do not come to anything; they are puffs of ethereal thought that vanish on each concrete move. The larger object then is not the board or the way in which the pieces move but the thoughts in the heads of the players.

Ok, so moving on to the second definition, the thoughts of the players are the systems, theory and phenomenon which can only be inferred from the actual moves themselves. By studying a game it is possible to determine the thought processes of each player as the game develops (assuming they are playing rationally). It is possible to look at multiple games and discern what could be predicted as good play (or probably more likely what is poor play). Chess players play thousands of games, watch thousands of games, study thousands of games and find themselves within the ethos of the chess community. They follow opening styles and playing styles or copy the styles of chess greats. All of this goes together as part of what makes up chess.

A systematic methodology of modelling is known as scientific modelling. Again, from that wonder of collective truth that is Wikipedia, an article explains: “A scientific model seeks to represent empirical objects, phenomena, and physical processes in a logical and objective way. All models are in simulacra, that is, simplified reflections of reality, but, despite their inherent falsity, they are nevertheless extremely useful. ... Complete and true representation may be impossible (see non-representational theory), but scientific debate often concerns which is the better model for a given task, e.g., which is the more accurate climate model for seasonal forecasting. Attempts to formalize the principles of the empirical sciences, use an interpretation to model reality, in the same way logicians axiomatize the principles of logic. The aim of these attempts is to construct a formal system that will not produce theoretical consequences that are contrary to what is found in reality. Predictions or other statements drawn from such a formal system mirror or map the real world only insofar as these scientific models are true. For the scientist, a model is also a way in which the human thought processes can be amplified.” While all this may sound too far from reality to be useful, the opposite is the truth. By this process, something as complex as chess can be broken down and modeled. The process involves defining the basic concepts, defining the structure, setting out the interrelationships or systems and then providing a visual representation of that. Every model is not the original, it is representational in every sense of that term.

Allied to modelling is the concept of simulation. And yes, again I am using Wikipedia for convenience, simulation is: “the imitation of some real thing, state of affairs, or process. The act of simulating something generally entails representing certain key characteristics or behaviours of a selected physical or abstract system.” The article goes so far to note that one application of this process are computer games which the article describes that: “they represent the interactions between the playable characters and the environment realistically.”

Finally, and by now I’m sure you are wondering where all this theory is going, there is one last concept to consider and that is: “Visualization is any technique for creating images, diagrams, or animations to communicate a message. Visualization through visual imagery has been an effective way to communicate both abstract and concrete ideas since the dawn of man. Examples from history include cave paintings, Egyptian hieroglyphs, Greek geometry, and Leonardo da Vinci's revolutionary methods of technical drawing for engineering and scientific purposes.” Aha, now that’s clear as mud!

In short, a model is a small version, a simulation is imitation of behaviour and visualization is communication of a message. Of course, all this is second nature to you cartographers! So, back to chess. We need a small version of the game in which simulation of chess behaviour is visualised to represent a message. I return to john9blue’s Chess. I repeat that it is a good version because it is small, it simulates (in brief but sufficiently) chess thinking and it communicates the ethos of chess which is as good a message as any!

Neutrals, you can love them or hate them, but we all need them. Why and what are those little pesky things for. On maps they serve a variety of functions. They allow maps to become balanced in play, can give a map there objective or just add another dimension to the masses of maps we have in Conquer Club.

Balance of play.How does having a neutral balance maps out when everything should be random. Well, no map has territories devisable by 2-8 players so instead of having areas of nothing the little white "3" comes into its own. Just think of them as another player, just one that has had its internet privileges taken away. Another way is when they pop up in small bonus areas. If you look at one of the new maps, Golfe Du St. Laurent, it comes with lots of little bonus areas. When it came into Beta play, lots of games finished before round 1 had ended. And the discussion of neutrals started.

Orange-Idaho-Dog wrote:In my team game, team one was dropped 2 bonuses (Labrador & Great North) minus one territory. By round 2 they had both and were unbreakable.

greenoaks wrote:i just started my first game on this map and i wasn't impressed.the other player dropped a bonus, got most of the other bonus and i got neutrals between me and those bonuses. game over.

ender516 wrote:putting a neutral in each of the 3-region bonus zones (New Brunswick, Newfoundland, and Labrador)

Final word by the mapmaker herself about this was

Tisha wrote:I really dislike neutrals on a map, but understand that the games on the map can be decided before you even get a first turn.

It is always nice to start with a bonus, but not so nice when you are on the receiving end so in went the neutrals.

Conditions for Winning.Many maps come with a winning condition. That special little rule that says "hold A + B" for one round to win the match. Maps like Das Schloss have them. A map that is heavy on the neutrals but with lots of starting positions all over the board. For this map, you have to conquer and hold 4 territories comprising 30 neutrals. Unlike most maps though, it is even harder to eliminate your opponent than it is to get the winning condition as your opponents starting positions are hidden behind 70+ neutrals.

I got the opportunity to ask cairnswk about the neutrals on Das Schloss so here are his reasons for them.

Why so many neutrals?Simply, each neutral territory is one to be conquered from the elements and buildings and hope that you don't come across your enemy too soon. This also helps with the build-your-own bonus structure to some degree.Why the high numbers? By this i guess you mean the Helicopters. The map needed a conquer-all element, and the helicopters were almost the only way to achieve this...it was felt that they should have very high numbers so that it was a last resort kind of thing if you were able to build such a large bonus to conquer them.Do you in any way feel this limits the game or slows it down?Neither. There are two ways of winning the map - the objective and also elimination. None of the neutrals limits the game or slows it down

Fighting your way through a sea of neutrals.A few maps have even more neutrals than Das Schloss, the ones that give you a starting position and a field of white to hack through. Maps like Age of Realms (Might, Magic, Mayhem), City Mogul, Treasure of the Galapagos and the Feudals (War and Epic). These maps have hundreds and in one case thousands of neutrals in them. Why the sea of white, well lets leave that to DiM to answer, the mapmaker who brought us Age of Realms and City Mogul.

Regarding the Age of Realms series, was it always your aim to have so many neutrals and what does it bring to the game in your opinion.back in 2007 me and gimil were bouncing ideas back and forth trying to put something new on the table. we came up with the conquest type gameplay where each player gets a starting point and then he begins exploring through neutrals, claiming bonuses and fighting other players. the large number of neutral terits is essential to making the gameplay immersive. With City Mogul, the big brother of neutral maps, why such high numbers. Would it make it any different if the numbers were reduced especially regarding the winning condition of holding the manor and mall.the idea behind this was very simple and it's all about statistics. it was meant to be a map that promotes agresivity and that removes luck from the equation leaving just strategy. for example a 6v3 battle will depend on the very first roll. if you lose 2 troops and your opponent wins then the game is off to a very bad start for you. with city mogul the battles are with huge numbers where a few bad/good rolls don't matter at all.

When neutrals turn bad. In a lot of maps where neutrals are present, some players see them as a nuisance and just ignore them.

iancanton wrote:the castle in castle lands, which is +2 auto-deploy, has 4 neutrals and it's not always taken.

With Treasure of the Galapagos map, a debate has been going on in reducing the neutrals for the luggers. Right now they are set at 10 but no one wants to play them. I asked cairnswk why.

There is a poll in the foundry to get the luggers reduced in (neutral) value to try and open them up in the game some more. What would be your ideal number?7 is probably best.You have played this map only a few times (12), have you ever gone for the luggers or seen anyone go for them?Yes, I think I tried to go for the luggers before the neutral numbers were increased, but it was very easy to conquer them. I also went for a straight out elimination in one game that i recall wihtout using the luggers.

When neutrals turn very very bad.Infected neutrals is in the suggestions final phase so we may see this soon. This is when the neutrals get a turn and attack. How will this affect games, maps, strategy; no one really knows till it comes live. But for one thing, it will make playing Das Schloss, City Mogul and all of the mentioned maps far more interesting.viewtopic.php?f=535&t=40294

A big thanks to all who helped with this article and I apologise to anyone who did not get there words in.

This issue, the Clan section brings you updates on the All Comers Cup and The Clan War Database, thanks to alt1978 and jigger1986! And, while I'm here, I should give a shout out to my clanmates from Team Ohio! And while we may be getting our butts handed to us by GG, at least we're having a good time, eh? As always, enjoy

When DJ Teflon of the Bretheren of Fat Mermaids created the All Comers Cup...most clans thought the seductive title promising universal pleasure meant everyone getting a turn with the BoFM's goat. Little did these clans know they were going to be treated to a uniquely intense small scale challenge that has showcased some big time play early on in the first round.The format is such that the Big Dogs of the clan world rest on the porch letting the young pups establish a pecking order for a shot to go on the hunt for the All Comers Cup. The six highest rated clans (according to Farang's Algorithm of 400 Ratings) received byes. Here is a break down of the hotly contested first round games between the rest of the pack.Legion vs. The New Crusade (24-10)

Against long odds the Crusader's came out of the gate strong picking up some dice doubles wins on Waterloo and England...and followed those up with a win in Battle for Iraq and Bamboo Jack Trips. There however, the valiant campaign for conversion ran out of fanatic fervor...as the Legion wielded its cold efficient blades of death through the Crusaders bodies like butter...completely dominating the Crusaders in all of the Legion's home games. With a commanding 24-10 lead...the Legion will be deftly marching on.

Always Kicking Ass vs. A Fist-full of Sixes (14-18)

From the pregame predictions and banter this one figured to be a complete mismatch of "Hands" vs. "Feet" as AFOS took on AKA. AFOS had the upper-hand early dominating in their set of home games locking up four quick wins in trips and quads...but AKA kept their foot in the door and were alive and kicking putting up a fierce stand of resistance in the remainder of AFOS home games.

AKA meanwhile had the numbers orientated "sixes" spell-bound on Crossword trips and established an early 4-3 edge on their home trips and quads. With score hanging at 18-14 in favor of AFOS at press time...there is still some doubt as to the outcome of this one. A win in Feudal Epic, Supermax, or Hive would put it away for AFOS...but with Supermax and Feudal Epic being escalating cards games, and Hive no spoils having the distinct possibility of not ending within the 30 round limits of the event...either team has a shot at winning or things could still even come down to a tie break. No matter the outcome...a strong showing by the underdog AKA and a classy performance by AFOS.

Legends of the Zone and Spelunkers of Hell (15-16)

Both clans have plenty to prove in the All Comers Cup with the SOH looking to build on their success in the New Comers Cup and LOTZ trying to bounce back from a couple of tough wars. LOTZ and SOH decided to take the unconventional route and lose the majority of their home games...while faring well in the away ones. The score sat at 15-10 LOTZ after the early games were completed with the Legends clearly getting into the zone. But then the Spelunkers hit gold...surging ahead 16-15 with three straight wins. Out of four remaining games, each side held a strong lead in one meaning LOTZ will have to pull out a Supermax/Cricket sweep to advance to the next round.

Dynasty vs Kills On Arrival (17-13)

In a match between a storied past and a violent present, this match up has been intriguing from the beginning. Dynasty dominated the singles realm winning all four singles matches. KOA countered winning 3 out of 4 doubles matches to go into the trips and quads down two and needing to pick up a game. With the score 15-11 Dynasty...KOA behind the tremendous play of icemack stormed back into contention. With the tiebreaker potentially coming into play However...Dynasty pulled out a huge turn around in Thyseneal crushing KOA and icecrack's dreams of upending the 35 day reign of Dynasty over the challenge. Dynasty went on to establish leads in several of the other toss up and looks to be well on their way to 21 or more points in a hard fought challenge of the ages.

The Fantastic Four Skins vs The Black Sheep Squadron (16-17)

In a super-powered high flying affair, the BSS jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the singles matches. The two clans then split the doubles series giving TFFS a two game hole to heroically hoist themselves from to advance to the second round. TFFS fought back strong on their home trips but BSS was not to be denied and fired back winning 3 out of 4 of their own home trips games...shooting down dreams of the comeback. To drop the final bomb...BSS aerially bombarded the TFFS back into the womb in Waterloo and and WW2 Ardenese to lock things up. With the score at press time sitting at 17-16 BSS, the two war boards are more less locked up for BSS securing them 21 points and a spot in the next round.

Manifest Destiny vs The Grim Reapers (18-19)

In the battle of inevitable fates, a fiesty MD took on the clan world's executors extraordinaire. It is hard to cheat death and Farang Demon's ranking supported this notion going into the challenge, but MD put up incredible resistance to preconceived notions making a bold entrance onto the clan scene.Manifest Destiny grabbed a 2-1 lead coming out of the gate with the singles matches and held the lead after a split of the doubles. MD then sent a strong manifesto to the Reapers beating GR's fabled Draknor squad on its home turf. The GR started swinging their sickles with a seriousness in the MD home quads games however...and charged ahead to a 19-12 lead with 8 points still out on the table. And that is where things started to get interesting. MD credo of a comeback started out humbly in a Poker Club Quads win, and spread like wildfire through North America trips, eventually (and against all odds) leaping across seas and catching on in Stallingrad quads. With the score sitting at 19-18 GR, the fate of the challenge rests in Waterloo Trips, where the game appears to be even and tightly contested. Outcome unknown at press time.

The First Regiment of Foot Guards: Grenadier Guards vs Team Ohio (9-1)

A storied match up that involves both the clan world's longest named clan and also the most regional clan kicked off with GG taking a 3-0 advantage in the singles set. In Team Ohio's first major clan event, Victor Sullivan and the rest of his cartography crew failed to forge the rumored "Corn Field" and "Decaying Industrial City" maps before the challenge commenced...despite trying to delay the start as long as possible in an attempt to get the Ohio-centric maps into play. The penalty for holding the Bengals in the Cincinnati region of the map is rumored to be worse than holding the gas chamber without the warden. GG busted out to a 9-1 edge as the spirit of the Bungles seemed to infect TO.

Risk Attackers vs Angels of Death (9-14)

In a match up that had rumors of an upset swirling in the peanut gallery chatter, AOD swooped in fast and sucked the life out of those predictions...leaping out to a 2-0 lead in the singles rounds. In another match-up dominated by away squads...AOD consistently seemed to edge out the RA squad and steadily built a lead in this one. AOD leads 14-9 and holds two strong leads...likely meaning that RA will have to win out every possible toss up game to force a tie-breaker.

One Step Ahead vs The Pig Renters (17-18)

In a match up of two of the clan scenes newer clans...OSA had a tango with the PR in a tightly contested back and forth affair. Stepping out to the lead, OSA went up 2-1 in the singles bouts. Hungry to get back into it, the pigs came out and won 3 of the 4 doubles games to munch ahead to a 4-3 lead. The back and forth would continue with the clans trading blows until the renters of swine had bartered out to a 18-17 lead, with OSA holding a solid lead in one game. A Forbidden City Trips game stands as the difference at deciding whether proper planning or pure hunger make its way into the next round.

The clan scene on CC is an ever-evolving entity. New clans are emerging on the scene all the time and perennial giants seem to be battling it out at every turn. With each war completed clan members are always looking for new ways to quantify their success. Several clan ranking systems exist with no real consensus on which is the best. I do not assume to know the answer, but I do know that in an ever changing clan climate hard core competitors will always be looking for that new "fix." In a effort to stimulate us clan junkies the CD team has created a Clan War Database and released an "unofficial" Leap Ladder Ranking System. In our last issue Leehar talked about the new Clan War Database and Leap Ladder. As a follow-up to that, I recently had a chat with Chemefreak to get the details on this new addition to the clan forum.==================================================================================================================Q.What is the clan war database?A.A database of clan wars! Every time the CDs close a war thread we note the score and this information is entered into an excel spreadsheet. jpcloet and Masli, who pieced together the 100+ prior clan wars and built the original database did the tough work. Now all we do is update it.

Q.What are the requirements for entry into the database?A.We think we have made real progress in defining what clan wars are and what they aren’t. Increased communication between the CDs, tournament organizers and clan leaders has helped immensely in this area.

Q.What can we expect as far as updates?A.The database will be updated on a pretty regular basis. (at least once a month) I know that jpcloet was working on a more permanent real-time platform for updating the database and the leap ladder…more of that to come sometime in the future. (I hope)

Q.Could you offer a small description of what the leap ladder is and who is involved in creating it?A.The leap ladder is the dream of jpcloet, one that I personally believe all the current CDs would like to see become a reality. The leap ladder is the ultimate clan ranking system. The current “unofficial” leap ladder was created based on the 2009 RPI results generated by jpcloet. These rankings got a little love back then and so the leap started with the numeric order of these rankings. Each time a war finishes the lower ranked clan either wins and skips the clan it beat or loses and nothing changes. Of course, there is a little more complexity involving the amount of spots one moves up or down after a win or loss, but that is a discussion for another day.

In my opinion the unofficial leap ladder is pretty damn accurate. With that being said it has some limitations. First, it only tracks clan wars, so other events are not taken into account on the ladder. Second, although some would argue this is not a problem, it does not take into account win percentage or margin of victory. Third, there has never been any consensus on where a clan should enter the ladder, so we have been starting all new clans at the bottom. Eventually, they will make it to where they should be but it may take a year or so.

The ladder has all kinds of other possible uses, such as defining “clan war farming” numerically and assisting with discipline. Is it worth posting that one last flame when it could cost your clan a spot or two on the ladder? Both are options that will need to be discussed, but its a great start.

Q.What criteria are involved in the rankings? How does it differ from FarangDemon's A400 system?A.Wins and losses are all that matter on this ladder. There is no win percentage, no margin of victory and no weighting increase for more recent wins. The ladder is a pure jump up or fall down scenario and that is what makes it fun and simple.

With that being said, I have nothing negative to say about FarangDemon's system. Any member who is willing to spend that much time trying to help the clan world is a peach in my book. I will say that I am not a huge fan of the win percentage and recentness of the war being so important to the rankings, but I do believe his system has a place in the clan world and he should be applauded for his efforts.

Q.When can we expect an official ladder?A.Hopefully soon! I think the leap ladder will work great as a seeding system for clan wars, but until someone comes up with a way to incorporate the Clan League and other events into an all-inclusive format, we are stuck with ranking systems broken into pieces by type of event. FarangDemon's shows current strength of clans, the leap ladder will show who will most likely win a qualifying clan war and Chuuuuck’s Power Rankings will show who we are all afraid of playing despite their current ranking. There is a unique place for all of these which makes the clan world more fun.

Q.Is there anything else you would like to add?A.jpcloet did more for clans than anyone will ever realize and should be applauded for everything he has done. Masli has been tirelessly working on behalf of clans for quite a while now as well. He is already making his mark as the Head Clan Director and will continue to make positive improvements in the clan world and Shaneback is a blast to work with too, even though the two of us are just secretaries to the clan world.

12:17:31 ‹Pixar› im gonna be fappin to that all night long10:59:12 ‹rhp 1› holy hell... that did it.. I pissed myself15:15:52 ‹Ace Rimmer› Sackett58, I think I may get some action this weekend15:16:05 ‹Sackett58› Right hand or left Ace?

Thanks DiM and Natty_Dread, I see your point. In my defence I have been trying to cover other aspects of the foundary that have not been written about. My next article is about XML, but I will thereafter focus just on the maps ... unless I get whacked by other CCers with different thoughts. And Nagerous, you are right but I will still go where the people send me ... lol.

good that naty its in mine foe list,so i dont need to read any stupid post.Are stupid write good, because mine english its not so good like naty english,please give me confirmation abouth these english word "stupid".

qwert wrote:good that naty its in mine foe list,so i dont need to read any stupid post.Are stupid write good, because mine english its not so good like naty english,please give me confirmation abouth these english word "stupid".

nagerous wrote:If you feel the foundry department is lacking in their articles, feel free to contribute! I know they are always looking for article writers, especially from established cartographers.

Always

-Sully

unfortunately map making skills and writing skills are 2 totally different things.

however i'd love to see some articles by qwert (yeah, i'm being a decibel)

hey this good idea DiM have.qwert interview be mine favorite for long time, not like other dribble to me so boring.me funny speak post maybe, but serious idea saying here.Pleasid to put qwert on list for next interview.qwert favorite poster of many here, mine too.and mine questions for qwert, and others questions for qwert, be more better.

nagerous wrote:If you feel the foundry department is lacking in their articles, feel free to contribute! I know they are always looking for article writers, especially from established cartographers.

Always

-Sully

unfortunately map making skills and writing skills are 2 totally different things.

however i'd love to see some articles by qwert (yeah, i'm being a decibel)

hey this good idea DiM have.qwert interview be mine favorite for long time, not like other dribble to me so boring.me funny speak post maybe, but serious idea saying here.Pleasid to put qwert on list for next interview.qwert favorite poster of many here, mine too.and mine questions for qwert, and others questions for qwert, be more better.